Second only to Russia in size, China is a land of many people and climates. Climates vary from desert to high mountains, and from tropical to Siberian-like cold temperate.

China is often divided into China proper and the outer territories. China proper includes the Pacific coastal regions and the populous valleys of China's three great and storied rivers, the Hwang Ho, Yangtze Kiang, and Sikiang. The outer territories include Manchuria and Inner Mongolia to the north, Sinkiang in the west, and Tibet in the southwest.

Like most of eastern Asia, the main controlling factor in the climate, in all but the drier western parts of China, is the Asian monsoon.

Cold winds blow off the Siberian high pressure from October to April. Northern Siberia and the northern outer territories of Manchuria, Inner Mongolia and Sinkiang have very cold and dry winters resulting from the winter monsoon flow. Further south along the edges of the Siberian high pressure, disturbances bring occasional bouts of rain and snow and a few cold spells, but usually not the prolonged cold and snow cover of the north. In the drier interior, winter winds can cause dust storms to swirl and add to the discomfort.

From May to September, as the land mass warms faster than the ocean, the monsoon winds reverse bringing moist air from the Pacific and bringing the summer wet season to China proper and Manchuria. The peak rainfall reaches Shanghai in June and Beijing in July. By the time the flow reaches Inner Mongolia and Sinkiang, little moisture is left and these areas receive much less rainfall and are characterized by arid or semi-arid conditions.

BEIJING, CHINA

Month

Record Low

Normal Low

Normal High

Record High

Average Rainfall

Average # Of Rain Days

January

-9°F-23°C

14°F-10°C

34°F1°C

57°F14°C

0.2 inches4 mm

3

February

0°F-18°C

18°F-8°C

39°F4 °C

66°F19°C

0.2 inches5 mm

3

March

7°F-14 °C

30°F-1°C

52°F11 °C

82°F28 °C

0.3 inches8 mm

3

April

27°F-3°C

45°F7°C

70°F21°C

97°F36°C

0.7 inches17 mm

4

May

37°F3°C

55°F13°C

81°F27°C

100°F38°C

1.4 inches35 mm

6

June

50°F10°C

64°F18°C

88°F31°C

109°F43°C

3.1 inches78 mm

8

July

59°F15°C

70°F21°C

88°F31°C

106°F41°C

9.6 inches243 mm

13

August

52°F11°C

68°F20°C

86°F30°C

100°F38°C

5.6 inches141 mm

11

September

36°F2°C

57°F14°C

79°F26°C

93°F34°C

2.3 inches58 mm

7

October

23°F-5°C

43°F6°C

68°F20°C

88°F31°C

0.6 inches16 mm

3

November

9°F-13°C

28°F-2°C

48°F9°C

75°F24°C

0.4 inches11 mm

3

December

-4°F-20°C

18°F-8°C

37°F3°C

55°F13°C

0.1 inches3 mm

2

The Tropical South, bordering the South China Sea (e.g. Hong Kong), and the Pacific East Coasts (e.g. Shanghai) of China are vulnerable to typhoons, especially from July to October. These storms can bring flooding rains and damaging winds. In between occasional typhoon threats, frequent showers are typical during the warm season. During the winter months, these regions are much sunnier, drier, and pleasant than areas to the north.

SHANGHAI, CHINA

Month

Record Low

Normal Low

Normal High

Record High

Average Rainfall

Average # Of Rain Days

January

10°F-12°C

33°F1°C

46°F8°C

74°F23°C

1.9 inches48 mm

6

February

17°F-8°C

34°F1°C

47°F8°C

83°F28°C

2.3 inches58 mm

9

March

21°F-6°C

40°F4°C

55°F13°C

86°F30°C

3.3 inches84 mm

9

April

30°F-1°C

50°F10°C

66°F19°C

93°F34°C

3.7 inches94 mm

9

May

37°F3°C

59°F15°C

77°F25°C

96°F36°C

3.7 inches94 mm

9

June

51°F11°C

67°F19°C

82°F28°C

103°F39°C

7.1 inches180 mm

11

July

61°F16°C

74°F23°C

90°F32°C

104°F40°C

5.8 inches147 mm

9

August

61°F16°C

74°F23°C

90°F32°C

104°F40°C

5.1 inches130 mm

9

September

44°F27°C

66°F19°C

82°F28°C

100°F38°C

2.8 inches71 mm

11

October

34°F1°C

57°F14°C

74°F23°C

92°F33°C

2.0 inches51 mm

4

November

23°F-5°C

45°F7°C

63°F17°C

86°F30°C

1.4 inches36 mm

6

December

14°F-10°C

36°F12°C

53°F2°C

75°F24°C

0.1 inches3 mm

6

HONG KONG, CHINA

Month

Record Low

Normal Low

Normal High

Record High

Average Rainfall

Average # Of Rain Days

January

32°F0°C

56°F13°C

64°F18°C

79°F26°C

1.1 inches33 mm

4

February

38°F3°C

55°F13°C

63°F17°C

79°F26°C

2.3 inches46 mm

5

March

45°F7°C

60°F16°C

67°F19°C

83°F28°C

2.9 inches74 mm

7

April

52°F11°C

67°F19°C

75°F24°C

89°F32°C

5.4 inches137 mm

8

May

60°F16°C

74°F23°C

82°F28°C

91°F33°C

11.5 inches292 mm

13

June

67°F19°C

78°F26°C

85°F29°C

94°F34°C

15.4 inches394 mm

18

July

72°F22°C

78°F26°C

87°F31°C

94°F34°C

15.0 inches381 mm

17

August

72°F22°C

78°F26°C

87°F31°C

97°F36°C

14.2 inches367 mm

15

September

65°F18°C

77°F25°C

85°F29°C

94°F34°C

10.1 inches257 mm

12

October

57°F13°C

73°F23°C

81°F27°C

94°F34°C

4.5 inches114 mm

6

November

44°F7°C

65°F18°C

74°F23°C

86°F30°C

1.7 inches43 mm

2

December

41°F5°C

59°F15°C

68°F20°C

82°F28°C

1.2 inches31 mm

3

Tibet is a land of mostly high plateau bordering the world's highest mountains, the Himalayas. Winters in the higher elevations are severe with very cold temperatures, frequent light snows and very low wind chills. However, the winters are rather mild and dry in the lower valley areas. In both the high country and the valleys, most of the precipitation comes in summer in the form of rain showers with the monsoon winds.